9 Things 'Bachelor' Nation Changed In 2015

Can you believe that there were three (three!) Bachelor shows this year? It's true! It's also true that between the three, a lot changed in Bachelor Nation in 2015. First, Chris Soules attempted to find a woman willing to give up her life and move to his small town in Iowa. Then Kaitlyn became the most controversial and defiant Bachelorette yet breaking all the "rules" we’ve come to know. Finally, a combination of cast members from both the seasons and a couple other former contestants came together in Paradise for a second (or third) chance at love. It seems like a lot longer than January that Chris Soules was our Bachelor, yet we are already almost ready to see Ben Higgins as the new Bachelor.

After all was said and done with the three shows, we were left with two couples standing. Kaitlyn and Shawn seem to be as in love as ever, if social media is any indicator of how a relationship is going. No wedding date has been set, but maybe 2016 will be a year of weddings. Jade and Tanner are also still together after Bachelor in Paradise. She even moved out to Kansas City with him where they live happily with their little animal family. Like I said, it’s been a big year filled with a lot of firsts and a lot of lasts. Here's how 2015 changed Bachelor Nation forever.

1. There Were Two Bachelorettes

Never in the history of the show have they brought on two women and had the contestants choose who they wanted to date. It wasn't well received by the viewers or the men, so hopefully that's a change that stays just in 2015.

2. (Admitted) Sex Before The Overnight Dates

Yes, it's likely happened before, but not as openly with The Bachelorette in 2015. Kaitlyn changed the game this year when she hooked up with Nick before the overnight date and it started a lot of talk, in a good way. Shouldn't people be able to sleep with the people they are dating? That's a part of connecting with someone and no one should be shamed for it. 2015 was the year we started to talk about these things openly — finally!

3. Semi-Boring Destinations

Bali and Ireland were the two foreign locations the shows got to go this year. I don't know if the show's budget was cut, but normally we get a lot more traveling to awesome destinations throughout the season. Maybe the show was going for a more realistic, less jet-setting dating life?

4. The First Farmer

I don't think there have been any farmers in our past and to be honest I don't know if we'll ever find one again as attractive as Chris Soules. He was truly one of a kind.

5. A Cast Member's Sibling On A Spinoff

The world was shocked when Ashley I. showed up in Paradise with her sister, Lauren, in tow. It was the first time a sibling was brought along and it didn't end well for her.

6. The First Officially Retired Bachelor Contestant

Chris Bukowski became the very first officially retired Bachelor contestant having appeared six times on various seasons of the show and deciding that was enough. Love was just not in the cards for Bukowski.

7. The Outline Of The Show

Kaitlyn's show was all over the map this year. Rose ceremonies were placed randomly throughout the episode and she let people go pretty much whenever she wanted. I think most people went home outside ceremonies to be honest. They did overnights before hometowns and hometown dates at some random hotel. Things got weird on The Bachelorette this year.

8. The Twins

We haven't seen them in action yet, but already know that twins will be competing and vying for Ben's heart in the new season. They are definitely shaking things up by having them go after the same guy and since we found out about them in 2015 — it totally counts.

9. The Beforehand Texting Problem

This year there was a lot of drama over the fact that contestants were meeting up and chatting before Bachelor in Paradise started. I have a feeling that it will now be an ongoing problem considering everyone is easily accessible through social media these days.

What will The Bachelor bring in 2016? We'll just have to watch to find out.

Images: ABC/Rick Rowell (4); Giphy (4)